Connecticut moves to address problem of rape in prison

The Associated Press

Published 10:28 am, Monday, May 25, 2015

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Connecticut moves to address problem of rape in prison

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HARTFORD >> The number of substantiated cases of sexual abuse inside Connecticut’s prisons and halfway houses rose from two in 2013 to 14 last year — and state officials and victims’ advocates say that’s actually a good thing.

The increase in cases is more likely the result of better reporting and increased investigation instead of a sign that sexual violence is on the rise in the state corrections system, experts believe.

“The rates of actual abuse probably haven’t increased. We don’t know,” said Chris Daley, the deputy executive director of Just Detention International, a national advocacy group for victims of sexual abuse in prison. “But what we are seeing is reporting has increased, and really importantly, they are doing better investigations so they are able to substantiate more complaints.”

The increase is detailed in a recent report that is part of the state’s effort to bring Connecticut into compliance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act. The report also shows that unsubstantiated reports of sexual assaults rose from 60 in 2013 to 85 in 2014, and the number of reports deemed unfounded went from 65 to 72.

The law was passed in 2003, but its federal standards mandating better reporting, education, investigations and treatment of victims of prison rapes did not go into effect until 2012.

Dave McNeil, who directs the Prison Rape Elimination effort in the Connecticut Correction Department, said no state is yet in total compliance with the law, but Connecticut is ahead of many others.

The Department of Correction has updated its directives and protocols to make it much easier for prisoners to report sexual abuse, educated the staff on how to receive and investigate abuse complaints and partnered with outside agencies to advocate for victims.

“We expected reports to increase once we rolled this out,” McNeil said. “Inmates are trying to report incidents, and we are investigating them. We’re preventing, we’re responding and we’re detecting incidents.”

Connecticut screens inmates coming into the system and places them in different populations based on factors including weight, age and sexual orientation to minimize the placement of people at high risk of abuse with those at high risk of abusing, McNeil said.

Under the new protocols, hotlines have been established so prisoners inside the facilities as well as former inmates and others outside the system can report sexual abuse and harassment. Staff now must follow specific protocols when told of potential abuse.

Previously, an inmate could write a complaint, but there were no systemwide standards for handling them.

Each prison now has a specialized investigative unit trained in handling and verifying abuse complaints, whether against staff or other inmates.

The state also entered into an agreement with the Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services to help provide training for staff and to work with inmates who have been victims of sexual abuse.

Laura Cordes, the agency’s executive director, said guaranteeing inmates access to victim and crisis services is a huge step forward. But the process is just starting and a lot more work needs to be done to ensure that prisoners feel comfortable reporting abuse, she said.

McNeil said the state has conducted detailed audits of nine prisons to ensure they are complying with the law and expects the state will reach full compliance by next May.

He said they have found issues that need correcting, many of them dealing with how to balance an inmate’s need for privacy with safety. Some buildings may need renovations to ensure that inmates don’t have to use the bathroom, take a shower or have a body search conducted in front of others.

He said the cost and effort to ensure the inmates are safe from sexual violence will be worth it.

“It used to be that society believed when a person was sent to prison, they deserved whatever happened to them there,” he said. “But 99 percent of these people are eventually going to be released into society. So, if we release an angrier, more hateful individual, whose responsibility is that?”